Memory cards are known in the art and contain intelligence in the form of a memory circuit or other electronic program. Some form of card reader reads the information or memory stored on the card. Such cards are used in many applications in today's electronic society, including video cameras, digital still cameras, smartphones, music players, ATMs, cable television decoders, toys, games, PC adapters, multi-media cards and other electronic applications. Typically, a memory card includes a contact or terminal array for connection through a card connector to a card reader system and then to external equipment. The connector readily accommodates insertion and removal of the card to provide quick access to the information and program on the card. The card connector includes terminals for yieldingly engaging the contact array of the memory card. Ejecting devices often are provided for facilitating inserting and ejecting the memory card to and from the card connector.
A typical memory card connector includes a U-shaped insulating housing structure having a lateral terminal-mounting section across the rear of the connector. The contacts or terminals of the connector are mounted on this lateral section. Two legs project at right angles forwardly from opposite sides of the rear lateral section to define longitudinal opposite sides of a cavity for receiving a memory card. An overlying shell substantially covers the insulating housing and includes a cover plate defining a top of the cavity and a pair of side walls overlying the side legs of the housing. Examples of such a memory card connector are shown in Japan Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2001-6777 and 2002-83651.
With the typical prior art memory card connectors as described above, the card-receiving cavity, in essence, is defined by the rear lateral section and the opposite side legs of the U-shaped housing as well as the top cover plate of the metal shell. The opposite longitudinal side legs of the housing cannot be reduced in lateral size and weight below certain limits because of the necessary resistive forces required for guiding the memory card in its movement into and out of the cavity. The present invention is directed to solving this problem by providing a connector which is reduced both in size and weight.